Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sunny Yoigloo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Sunny Yoigloo’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; duplex-type inflorescences with obovate-shaped ray florets; bright yellow-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering about September 18 th  in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunny Yoigloo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially grown as a perennial garden Chrysanthemum and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Sunny Yoigloo’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new perennialgarden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirableinflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good gardenperformance.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofthe Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Warm Yoigloo, disclosed in a U.S.Plant Patent application filed concurrently. The new Chrysanthemum wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin a population of plants of the cultivar Warm Yoigloo in December,2003, in Alva, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on itsdesirable inflorescence color and good form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative cuttings wasfirst conducted in Alva, Fla. in February, 2004. Asexual reproduction bycuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemumare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sunny Yoigloo have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Yoigloo’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Sunny Yoigloo’ as a new and distinct gardenChrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.    -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Duplex-type inflorescences with obovate-shaped ray florets.    -   5. Bright yellow-colored ray florets.    -   6. Natural season flowering about September 18^(th) in the        Northern Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar WarmYoigloo, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered later than plants of        the cultivar Warm Yoigloo when grown under natural season        conditions.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Warm Yoigloo        differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Warm        Yoigloo had orange bronze-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of theChrysanthemum cultivar MN98-M91-1, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.15,027. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants ofthe new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar MN98-M91-1 inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller, fuller and more        mounded than plants of the cultivar MN98-M91-1.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than        plants of the cultivar MN98-M91-1.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences        with more ray florets than plants of the cultivar MN98-M91-1.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about 10 to 14 days        later than plants of the cultivar MN98-M91-1 when grown under        natural season conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Yoigloo’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Sunny Yoigloo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Pendleton, S.C. during the summerin an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices whichapproximate those generally used in commercial garden Chrysanthemumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperaturesaveraged 32° C. and night temperatures averaged 21° C. Plants were grownin 20 cm-containers under natural season conditions. Plants used in thephotographs and for the description were about four months old. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Sunny    Yoigloo.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the    Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Warm Yoigloo, disclosed in a U.S.    Plant Patent application filed concurrently.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of            about 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten to twelve            days at temperatures of about 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Perennial duplex-type garden Chrysanthemum.            Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly            mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit,            about nine to ten lateral branches each with multiple            secondary and tertiary branches; pinching is not required;            dense and full plant habit. Strong and vigorous growth            habit.        -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 62 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 28 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.            Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: 147B.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About            4.2 cm. Width: About 2.4 cm. Apex: Cuspidate to mucronate.            Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between            lateral lobes parallel to convergent. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescence; veins prominent on lower            surface. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 137A.            Developing foliage, lower surface: 137B. Fully expanded            foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 137C. Fully expanded            foliage, lower surface: 137C; venation, 137C. Petiole:            Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            137C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Duplex-type inflorescence form with            obovate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged            acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences fragrant, typical            of Chrysanthemum.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower about September 18^(th) in the Northern Hemisphere.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about four weeks in an outdoor nursery.            Inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 88 inflorescences develop            per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About            1.4 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 7C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.8 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 5 mm. Receptacle height:            About 5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.7 cm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Obovate. Orientation: Initially upright,            then about 90° from vertical; eventually reflexing. Aspect:            Initially incurved, then mostly flat. Length: About 1.7 cm.            Width: About 5 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            longitudinally ribbed. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 280 arranged in about 18 to 19 whorls.            Color: When opening, upper surface: 8A. When opening, lower            surface: 8C. Fully opened, upper surface: Outer ray florets,            8A, becoming close to 12B with development, inner ray            florets, 12A. Fully opened, lower surface: Outer ray            florets, 8C; inner ray florets, 12A.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 2 mm.            Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets per            inflorescence: About 107. Color, immature: Apex: Close to            7A. Mid-section: Close to 7D. Base: Close to 1D. Color,            mature: Apex: Close to 163B. Mid-section: Close to 162B.            Base: Close to 157A.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 28            arranged in about five whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Width:            About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.            Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower            surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 144A.            Color, lower surface: Close to 146B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Angle: Mostly upright or curving upright. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 191A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed on disc            florets. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.            Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma            color: Close to 10B. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:            Close to 10D. Ovary color: Close to 157D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have    demonstrated excellent garden performance and will overwinter in    USDA Zones 5 and higher; plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been    observed to tolerate high temperatures of about 38° C.

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sunny Yoigloo’ asillustrated and described.